‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬

Egyptian Maintenance Co.

MAINTENANCE OF ESP POWER STATION

STARTING SYSTEM
 ‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬
Egyptian Maintenance Co.

Systems: The Importance of Starting Systems

The Importance of Starting Systems A functional machine needs a running engine, and if the engine
doesn’t crank, it doesn’t start. A properly operating and reliable starting system is a must for keeping a
machine productive.
For many years, diesel engines have mostly used electric motors to crank them over to start the
combustion process. For some applications, an air or hydraulic motor will create the torque needed to turn
the engine over.
Many years ago, diesel engines were sometimes started with a smaller gas engine called a pup engine.
See Figure 7–1 for a pup engine on an older diesel engine.

Another way to get a diesel engine started was to start it on gasoline and then switch it over to run on
diesel fuel. This was a complex solution to a simple task because the engine had to have a way to vary its
compression ratio, and it needed a spark ignition system and a carburetor. As 12V electrical systems
became more popular and electric motor design improved, electric starters were able to get the job done.
Many large diesel engines will use a 24V starting system for even greater cranking power.
See Figure 7–2 for a typical arrangement of a heavy-duty electric starter on a diesel engine.
 ‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬
Egyptian Maintenance Co.

A diesel engine needs to rotate between 150 and 250 rpm to start. The purpose of the starting system is to
provide the torque needed to achieve the necessary minimum cranking speed. As the starter motor starts
to rotate the flywheel, the crankshaft is turned, which then starts piston movement.
Fora small four-cylinder engine, there doesn’t need to be a great deal of torque generated by a starter. But
as engines get more cylinders and bigger pistons, a huge amount of torque will be needed to get the
required cranking speed. Some heavy-duty 24V starters will create over 200 ft-lb of torque. This torque
then gets multiplied by the gear reduction factor between the starter motor pinion gear and ring gear on
the engine’s flywheel. This is usually around 20:1.
See Figure 7–3 for how a starter assembly pinion engages with the flywheel ring gear.

Some larger engines will need two or more starters to do this.

Some starters for large diesel engines will create over 15 kW or 20 hp!
See Figure 7–4 for a double starter arrangement.
 ‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬
Egyptian Maintenance Co.

When a starter motor starts to turn the engine over, its pistons start to travel up in the cylinders on
compression stroke.

There needs to be between 350 and 600 psi of pressure created on top of the piston. This is the main
resistance that the starter has to overcome.

This pressure is what is needed to create the necessary heat in the cylinder so that when fuel is injected it
will ignite. If the starting system can’t crank the engine fast enough, then the compression pressure and
heat won’t be high enough to ignite the fuel. If the pistons are moving too slowly, there will be time for the
compression to leak by the piston rings.

Also, the rings won’t get pushed against the cylinder, which again allows compression pressure to leak into
the crankcase. When this happens, the engine won’t start or it starts with incomplete combustion.
Incomplete combustion equals excessive emissions. This is another reason to have a properly operating
starting system.
The faster a starter can crank a diesel engine, the faster it starts and the quicker it runs clean.
This engine cranking task is much more difficult in colder temperatures especially if the engine is directly
driving other machine components such as hydraulic pumps, a torque converter, or a PTO (power take-off)
drive shaft. Cold engine oil adds to the load on the starter, and this load may increase by three to four
times what it would normally be in warmer weather. Engine oil that is the wrong viscosity (too thick) for
the temperature will greatly increase the engine’s rolling resistance.
Adding to this problem is the fact that a battery is less efficient in cold temperatures.
When engineers design a cranking system, they must take into account cold weather cranking conditions
and will quite often offer a cold weather starting option.

This would likely include one or more of the following: bigger or more batteries, higher output starter,
larger battery cables, battery blankets, oil heaters, diesel fired coolant heater, electric immersion coolant
heater (block heater), and one or more starting aids like an ether injection system or an inlet heater.

One more recent difficulty added to starting systems is a result of electronic controls on some engines.
Some ECMs may need to see a minimum number of engine revolutions at a minimum speed before it will
energize the fuel system. This equates to longer cranking times and more strain on the cranking system.
Some electronic engines will crank for five seconds or longer even when the engine is warm before the
ECM starts to inject fuel and the engine starts.
 ‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬
Egyptian Maintenance Co.

It’s important that a machine’s starting system works properly and you should be aware of how the main
components of a system work. This will give you the knowledge needed to make a proper diagnosis when
you get a complaint of an engine cranking slowly or not at all.

If an engine doesn’t start, then a machine isn’t working, and instead of making money, it’s costing money.
The better you know how to diagnose and repair a starting system problem, the more valuable you will be
as an HDET. There are lots of technicians who are good at changing starters whether the starter is faulty or
not.

Many times, the cause of a starting complaint is something other than the starter.
If a starter is used properly, it will last for well over 10,000 starts. The biggest factor in reducing the life of
an electric starter is overheating from over-cranking. Never run the starter for more than a 30-second
stretch, and if it does run that long, then wait at least two minutes between cranks to allow the
starter to cool.
For engines up to 500 hp, electric starting systems will be used for 99% of the applications. For any size
engine, air and hydraulic starting systems are an option; however, they will likely only be used for special
applications and usually for engines over 500 hp.
 ‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬
Egyptian Maintenance Co.

AIR STARTING SYSTEMS

Different engine applications could call for an alternative starting system to the electrical one just
discussed.
The environment the machine is working in could be flammable and require a spark-proof machine or the
cost of replacing batteries in extremely cold environments is seen to be excessive.
One alternative is to use a dedicated air supply to spin an air- powered starter motor assembly.
There are some advantages to having an air driven starter.
They are much lighter and, therefore, have a higher power to weight ratio than a comparable output
electric starter.
There is no chance of an air starter overheating from over-cranking.
Because of their simple design, there is very little that goes wrong with them. The most problematic area
that can cause trouble with an air starter assembly is excessive moisture in the air system that can freeze in
cold weather.
One disadvantage is how fast the air supply is depleted when the starter is engaged. Most starting tanks
will empty within 20 seconds. If the air tank does deplete before the engine starts, this means charging the
tank with an external air source from a shop airline, other machine, or service truck.
An air starter will generate high cranking speed and torque so that under normal conditions the engine
should start before the starter air tank runs out.
There are two main types of air starter motors.
One is a vane type that uses sliding vanes in a rotor to convert air flow into mechanical movement. The
other type is called turbine, and its rotation is created by air flow pushing on the blades of
one or more turbine wheels.
If you look back to the chart comparing air, hydraulic, and electrical starting systems, the main differences
are the energy supply, type of motor, air lines, and system control.
The machine will most likely have an air compressor to provide air for other pneumatic systems and to
keep the starter air tank charged up. Once the engine starts, it is then up to the machine’s air compressor
to recharge the starting tank and the machine’s other supply tanks.
The air starting tank will be charged to between 110 and 150 psi.
To send air to the starter, a relay valve will be controlled by an electric solenoid valve that is activated by
the key switch or there could be a floor-mounted air relay valve to send air to the
main relay valve.
 ‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬
Egyptian Maintenance Co.

SEE FIGURE 7–24 to see the arrangement of components for an air starting system.

When the solenoid valve is energized, it will send air to the relay valve that will open to allow tank air into
the starter motor.
There are two main types of starter motors: vane and turbine.
The motors create shaft rotation that usually has its speed reduced and torque increased through a gear
reduction.
 ‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬
Egyptian Maintenance Co.

The torque is then sent out through a drive pinion to engage with the flywheel. Vane-type motors will need
lubrication and will usually have diesel fuel drawn into the motor inlet during starter engagement.
It is important to have clean dry air entering air starters and their control circuit. Problems with moist air
are magnified in the winter with relay valves freezing and sticking. Air leaks and air restrictions are the only
other concern with air starter systems.
The motors will last a long time, and if they are found to be worn out, repair kits can be installed to renew
the starter assembly.
HYDRAULIC STARTING SYSTEMS

Another nonelectric starting system is one that uses hydraulic fluid to rotate a hydraulic starter motor. The
motor will then rotate a drive gear in the same manner as typical electric starters.
Hydraulic start systems have an accumulator that keep hydraulic fluid stored under pressure until needed.
A control valve is actuated to send pressurized fluid to the motor to get the motor turning. The motor is a
fixed displacement axial piston unit, and its shaft drives the pinion gear directly.
SEE FIGURE 7–25 for a hydraulic starting system.

The control valve could be floor mounted, cable operated, or controlled electrically through an LCD screen
touch pad called a human–machine interface (HMI).
 ‫الشــــركة المصـــرية للصيانــــــة‬
Egyptian Maintenance Co.

The accumulator for this system has a pre-charge of 1500 psi of nitrogen, and when the oil is pumped into
it, the pressure builds to 3000 psi.
This system will have a backup hand pump that could be used to charge the accumulator.
If the system doesn’t operate, then just like an electric or air system, perform a good visual inspection.
Then check the accumulator pre-charge pressure and the oil pressure after the accumulator has been
charged. If these pressures are good, then look for restrictions or leaks past the accumulator toward the
control valve. Make sure that the valve is moving as it should, and if there is still a problem,
you may have to install pressure gauges throughout the system to see if there is oil pressure getting past
the control valve.
As with any fluid power system, cleanliness is crucial so check for fluid contamination. For information on
accumulator service and repair, refer to Chapter 16.